The Social Media Acronyms Everyone Should Know

Acronyms are widely used across social networks as they are a natural fit. Social networking sites are based on short and snappy communication whether that be through posts or instant messaging, it makes sense for people to rely on acronyms, especially for common phrases such as direct message or retweet that will be used daily on social media.

Most network specific acronyms are generally already In-built in to our brains but here is the top 6 that you should ensure are remembered whether you use them in your personal life or within the work environment.

AMA: Ask Me Anything

This acronym can be used in social media updates as an open call for questions and is often used to symbolise a recurring question-to-answer series on social media or as a form of public communication between YouTubers and their audience.

DM: Direct message

A direct message is a messaging function on Twitter that allows you to send a message to another user privately. You can only send a direct message to a Twitter user who is already following you and vice a versa (It is possible to receive direct messages from anyone, just change your account settings).

FBO: Facebook official

This often refers to making a public announcement of a life achievement, such as a new job or a new relationship, on Facebook.

FF: Follow Friday

A trend that started on Twitter, Follow Friday is a trend that allows you to share the names of other Twitter users, which you think your followers should follow. Marketers often use FF to share accounts they find useful and it also helps with B2B communication.

FYI: For your information

One of the most popular acronyms used across social media and within real life.

HBD: Happy birthday

An acronym most often used on Twitter so the user can cut down their character usage.

ICYMI: In case you missed it

Catching you up on the latest information and news on all social media networks.

IRL: In real life

To let people know you are talking about something that is in the real world and is not relating to your online life.

IKR: I know, right?

Frequently used within retweets or as comments on posts you share on Facebook, clarifying that you agree with someone’s statement.

LMK: Let me know

If you see this within messaging it means the person is expecting a response. This acronym is widely used by marketers who are communicating with each other over social media.

MT: Modified Tweet

If a manual retweet (see below) is edited for length, you can use MT to show that you’ve changed the original words.

OOTD: Outfit of the day

A popular Instagram hashtag, #OOTD is used if you’re showcasing an outfit you have worn that day or an outfit that is suited for that day. It is most frequently used by beauty bloggers and fashion and beauty guru’s across social media.

PM: Private message

The general term for one-on-one communication that’s not visible to the public. Private messages include DMs which are mentioned above.

PODT: Photo of the Day

Commonly used as a hashtag on Instagram. It is popular acronym used by photographers who want to showcase their skills.

RT: Retweet

A Retweet is a Tweet that is re-shared to the followers of your Twitter account. Retweets are easy to do just click the official Retweet button located at the bottom on the post.

TBH: To be honest

When someone wants to highlight that they are giving their honest opinion, often used for negative feedback across all social networking sites.

TBT: Throwback Thursday

A trend on social media where people post old photos of themselves on Thursdays (#ThrowbackThursday, #TBT). Often many celebrities show photos of themselves in the past and where they are now, these posts often receive the most engagement.

Is there some acronyms that you use that weren’t mentioned above? Feel free to comment below what you’ve used on social media. Want to find out more about social media? Check out some of our other social media blog posts or view our social media marketing page.